Shears



June '15 1926. 1,588,982

C. E. NORTON SHEARS Filed Sept. 16, 1925 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES FATENT @FFICE.

CLARENCE E. NORTON, OF G 'UILFOR-D, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 ROBERT G. MITCHELL, OF MOUNT VERNQN, NEW YORK.

SHEARS.

Application filed September This invention relates to improvements in tools for cutting strap iron and the like, the construction being such that the cutting operation may be performed in very inaccessible places where ordinary shears can not be easily or successfully employed.

Among the objects are simplicity of construction, cheapness of manufacture and eiilciency of operation.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my inven tion in position for use;

*ig. 2 is a relatively enlarged view of the parts constituting my invention as in operation, portions being broken away.

12 represent blades. Each of saie blades has a relatively short longitudinal slot in its end. These slots-are of substantially the same size. 3 is what I will term a blade holder the same comprising a strip of metal having a slot at the end of sufficient Width to receive between the bifurcated ends formed of the two blades 1-2, so as to hold the sides of said blades closely together.

This means constitutes in effect a yoke but different from a pivot bolt such as used in ordinary shears, it leaves one blade free to slide on the other and does not constitute a fixed connecting fulcrum as in the case of the pivot bolt.

I have shown my invent-ion as employed in cutting one of the brake straps in a transmission gear such as used in a Ford auto mobile. 4: represents the housing for said transmission gear, and 5 represents a me tallic brake strap provided with the usual brake lining 6., such used in such gears. These straps are provided with head pieces secured at the ends thereof, one of which appears at 7.

When it is necessary to reline or replace a Ford transmission brake strap it is neces sary to remove the old strap from the housing 4'. Since ordinarily the heads 7 are riveted on, and since there is insufficient clearance to pull out'one of the straps without. removing one head 7, it is necessary to break 03 the strap unless the head is first removed, and this is a tedious and difficult job. It is furthermore difficult to sever the strap by any ordinary cutting device, such as a pair of shears. By my improved cutting tool this severing operation of the strap 5 is 16, 1925. Serial No. 56,588.

easily and quickly performed by simply freeing the brake strap, pulling one end pal tially around in the housing, as shown, and.

applying the two blades 1 2 thereto, as indicated in Fig. 1,'wherein the strap 5 stands in the slotted ends of the two blades. The blade holder 3 may then be applied as shown, so as to hold the blades l 2 closely adjacent to one another, whereby when the outer ends of the blades 1 2 are brought together, the edges of the slots in which the strap 5 stands operate to quickly cut the strap 5, the strap itself acting as the fulcrum on which the blades 1-2 turn. By this strap I from the housing 4;. arrangement an exceedingly po crful age is obtained, as compared with the ordi-' nary shears wherein the pivot which forms the fulcrum would stand at'a coniidera-ble distance from the strap 5, thereby requiring much more power to operate the cutting means.

It is preferred to pitch slots in the ends of the blades 1 and 2 at a convenient angle relatively to the upper and lower edges of said blades so that the lower side of each blade end may l e entered readily under the strap, and also so that when the strap is 31 in place in the slots, the blades will stand at an angle to each other as indicated in the drawing, whereby by forcing the outer ends toward each other the strap will be sheared.

' What I claim is:

1. A cutting tool comprising two independent blades,'each of the same having a slot in one end thereof forming complementary cutting edges, a yoke for holding said blades in operative position side by side without penetrating the same.

2. A cutting tool comprising two iudependent blades, each of the same having a slot in one end thereof forming complementary cutting edges, and blade-holding means freely engaging said blades for holding the same in operative position side by side, said means comprising a blade having a recess in its end to form shoulders engaging the opposite outer sides of said cutting blades when the same are in cutting position.

CLARENCE E. nonron. 

